Fermented and aged in barrels for about 13 months, this wine is selected from a single vineyard in Leith and then blended with AVA wines. It has a refreshing, concentrated taste of crushed citrus fruits, lemons, and limes, with a pleasant acidity and crushed stone. Coexists with a mineral feel.
Technical information
Vinification: The grapes are gently pressed with the stems still attached (the stems act as a cushion to prevent over-squeezing), and brewed in dummy barrels (custom-made barrels made from 4-year-old barrel wood) made specially for leasing, without using pumps. Barrel fermentation and barrel aging.
The primary fermentation using natural yeasts takes about a year in a cold cellar, and malolactic fermentation is also completed 100%.
The wine is barrel aged for approximately 13 months, and after selecting single vineyards in Lease, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was selected.
The wine is then transferred to stainless steel tanks for further ageing for six months before bottling.
Tasting Comments
The refreshing taste of crushed citrus fruits, lemon, and lime is complemented by nuances of mint, white pepper, white flowers, pear, and almond.The flavor combines the bright fruitiness of California with the thickness and concentration of a Meursault from Burgundy, France, along with a pleasant acidity and crushed stone minerality.
The elements you might expect from Chardonnay - the richness of the fruit, the nuances of the oak, the excellent acidity, and the mineral nuances reminiscent of the soil - are intricately intertwined, and each is not over the top, maintaining a refined balance that gives this appellation class Chardonnay an astonishing elegance.
Field Information
The AVA (village) wines produced by Leith Vineyards are a concentrated expression of the individuality of each of their own vineyards.
2020: 100% Mount Pajaro. (Other fields were abandoned due to wildfires.)
Vintage: 2020
Capacity: 750ml
Type: White wine
Taste: Medium bodied
Main variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Santa Cruz Mountains
Vineyard: Mt. Pajaro 100%
Winemaker: Jeff Brinkman
Winemaking: Whole bunch pressing. Fermentation with natural yeast in French barrels (20-25% new barrels, made by Dummy) and aging. 100% malolactic fermentation.
Aging: 6 months additional maturation in stainless steel tanks before bottling
Rating: 90P or above
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 12.2%
JAN: 855735007271